Polenta breakfast with Brussels sprouts & sausage

As a kid, I really only wanted cold cereal for the prize inside. I liked little presents. (I still do.) I’m less keen on mushy cornflakes and marshmallows floating in milk, or whatever it is they’re putting in cereal these days.

Before making a purchase, my mom would always ask, “Now do you want this for the cereal or for the prize inside?” She was totally on to me.

These days, there are a few cold cereals I will eat, but that usually only happens once or twice a year. Plus, they don’t put any surprises in cereal boxes for adults. What’s up with that? Would it kill them to throw in some cute stationery, tiny kitchen tools, or mini bottles of hot sauce? Now, that’s some cold cereal I would buy. 😉

The fact is I’m much more inclined to make a warm breakfast – something savory and filling.When many people think of hot breakfasts, their minds venture to oatmeal. But polenta is a terrific alternative. The polenta that I use is finely ground, which means it cooks very quickly. (I use a brand called de la Estancia. If you use a different brand, be sure to check the package. You may need to vary your liquid and/or cooking time.)

Oftentimes, I have creamy polenta on its own with a dab of vegan butter or Ethiopian seasoned oil. But if you really want to lean into those cozy feelings, you’ve got to go all in on the polenta breakfast platter.This polenta breakfast is topped with Brussels sprouts that have been thinly sliced and browned in a skillet, until they have that wonderful smoky edge that makes Brussels sprouts sing. (I often roast Brussels sprouts in the oven. However, when you thinly slice them, they cook up on the stove in almost no time at all. Got to love that in the morning.)

The polenta and sprouts are joined with vegan breakfast sausage links. For this recipe I’ve gone with Field Roast breakfast sausages, but any vegan breakfast sausage will do. You just want something with a chewy texture and bit of smokiness. (Having this for dinner instead? This meal would also be great with sliced and browned Field Roast apple sage sausages.)Finally, you know what all of these foods like? Maple syrup. A little drizzling over the sausages, Brussels sprouts, and creamy polenta brings it all together – one harmonious bite after another.

It may not be a decoder ring, mini magnifying glass, or temporary tattoo, but perhaps there’s a prize inside of this breakfast after all.

Bring one teaspoon of canola oil to a medium or medium high heat in a non-stick skillet.

Put an even layer of thinly sliced Brussels sprouts across the skillet along with a pinch of salt. Don't move the sprouts until they are starting to get nice and toasty brown on the bottom. Toss them and continue cooking until that side is brown as well. (If you move the sprouts too much, they won't get the lovely, dark color that is desired.)

After the sprouts have cooked for about 5 to 6 minutes, push them to one side of the pan. Lower the heat, if necessary. Put the remaining half teaspoon of oil in the empty space of the pan, and brown the 4 vegan sausages on all sides. It should only take 2 or 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and set aside.

To make polenta breakfast

Bring a medium-sized pot to a medium heat with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Saute minced garlic for a few minutes, until fragrant. Add water to the pot & a pinch of a vegetable bouillon cube. Once the bouillon cube has disintegrated and the water comes to a low boil, lower heat to a simmer. Slowly pour in finely ground polenta, stirring constantly.

After a minute or two, the polenta will thicken and start pulling from the sides of the pan. Once it has thickened, add nutritional yeast flakes and non-dairy milk. Stir to combine and cook for about 30 seconds more, until it's evenly incorporated and has a texture that's similar to mashed potatoes.

Divide the polenta between two platters. Top each platter with even amounts of Brussels sprouts and vegan sausages.

(Optional) Serve with maple syrup for drizzling on top.

Cuisine: Vegan |Recipe Type: Breakfast

Notes

*If you'd prefer, you can use vegetable broth instead of water and a pinch of a bouillon cube.
**I use a finely ground polenta that cooks very quickly. If you use a different brand, make sure to check the liquid measurement & cooking times. You may need to make adjustments.

I would too! I'm always tempted by those adorable mini bottles of hot sauce. If a packaged cereal came with one as an extra, that would push it over for me. Someone should make cereal with prizes for adults! I need to get on this! :D

This is a great breakfast combination! I recently fell in love with Brussels sprouts (now I can think of them as a breakfast food, too!) and I have a feeling I would love polenta as well.
On another note, we couldn't be more opposite in the cereal department! Once or twice a year!?!

Thanks, Shell! I'm glad you've become a Brussels sprouts lover too. They're one of my favorite foods - any time of the day! :D
I know, can you believe how total opposites we are on the cold cereal front? You could eat it for every meal of the day, and I'd rather not have it for any of them. Haha!

Oh my goodness, if cereal had tiny bottles of hot sauce it in I'd probably buy it more. I'm totally with you, I like a nice savory breakfast. I'd actually eat one every day if I wasn't in a rush (usually it's smoothies when I'm running to work.
Polenta and Brussels sprouts a is such a great idea for breakfast!

Thanks, Bianca! I've had both grits & polenta, and I'm not a big fan of grits. Polenta is more finely ground and smoother, while grits are coarser. I'm firmly in Team Polenta. :D I'm so surprised you haven't had Brussels with maple syrup. Just a little drizzle really balances their pungency. Since you are into savory sweet combos, I think you'll love it!

Oh, I am so grateful for a vegan breakfast that doesn't include tofu. We love polenta. We love Brussels sprouts. And who doesn't love maple syrup? Pinning this to my Recipes to Try, and if I can get the share function to work on Facebook, I'll share it as my pick for #RecipeOfTheDay. So far, FB doesn't want to let the photo come up, and you know no one will click back here unless one of your gorgeous photos shows up. Best wishes and a good day to you!

Thanks, Kathryn! Polenta, Brussels sprouts, and maple syrup are a wonderful trio, that's for sure.
Facebook has been glitchy lately when it comes to adding photos. I've noticed that if you save a photo from a website, you can upload it with the link instead. That's what I've been doing lately with my own sharing. You're right that without a photo, no one clicks through. Thank you for sharing my post. I really appreciate it! Best wishes and good day to you as well. :D

This looks so great. I love polenta, but don't use it nearly enough.
I do like cereal, as long as it isn't super sugary, but I prefer it as a snack.
Growing up I don't really remember us having prizes in our cereal boxes as standard... maybe there was an occasional promotion. I guess us Australian kids missed out.

Thanks, Susan! I seem to go in phases with polenta. For a while, I'm stuck on it and eating it all the time, and then I go through spurts where I forget about it.
I don't think prizes are common anymore in U.S. cereals either, but I don't really know for sure since for obvious reasons I'm not buying kid cereals.

I made this dish yesterday and it was delicious. The drizzle of maple syrup addd so much. Who would have guessed that Brussels sprouts love maple syrup! My husband gobbled down his plate after a 15 mile bike ride. He said it was a perfect post ride breakfast! Thanks for such a great recipe. We will make it again for sure.

That's what I love about polenta. It's wonderful sweet or savory. When I'm in a sweet mood, I like to incorporate blueberries into it until they pop. It's also really nice with maple syrup. I'll have to try your grapefruit & vanilla yogurt idea. That never would have occurred to me!

I just discovered your blog today when looking for ideas to incorporate saurkraut into vegan meals, as I'm considering making some. I love seeing your recipe ideas because they are clearly so a bit different from all of the other vegan recipes I've come across. I've gotten so tired of seeing the same basic breakfast meals repeated on blogs or in vegan cookbooks. I love that this breakfast is simple, but uses different ingredients than what you normally see. I mean polenta?? Brussel sprouts??!? Wonderful! Now I have a good reason to pick up a bag of them. I've been putting it off because I'm often the only one who loves Brussels sprouts, roasted of course. Thank you for stepping outside the box and creating such exciting looking dishes!